Nation Dec 18 Regulators retreat from massive air bag inflator recall, citing need for more investigation By Tom Krisher, Associated Press
Nation Nov 14 Ford must pay up to $165 million penalty to U.S. government for moving too slowly on recall The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says Ford was too slow to recall vehicles with faulty rearview cameras, and it failed to give the agency complete information, which is required by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Act. By Tom Krishner, Associated Press
Nation Jul 31 NHTSA decides 50 million air bag inflators are dangerous, moving closer to huge recall Despite opposition from automakers, U.S. auto safety regulators say they stand by a conclusion that more than 50 million air bag inflators are dangerous and should not be in use, taking another step toward a massive recall. By Tom Krisher, Associated Press
Nation Jun 24 Department of Transportation investigates Ford recall of Explorer SUVs The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating a Ford Motor Co. recall of more than a quarter-million Explorer SUVs in the U.S. after receiving complaints about repairs intended to prevent the vehicles from unexpectedly rolling away even while placed… By David Hamilton, Associated Press
Nation Dec 22 U.S. probes Tesla drivers playing video games while on the road The US has opened a formal investigation into the potential for Tesla drivers to play video games on a center touch screen while the vehicle is in motion. By Tom Krisher, Associated Press
Mar 17 U.S. revises passenger safety rules for autonomous vehicles By Tom Krishner, Associated Press The proposed regulation would apply front passenger seat protection standards to the traditional driver’s seat of an autonomous vehicle, rather than safety requirements that are specific to the driver’s seat, the agency said. Continue reading
Mar 08 Early data suggests pedestrian deaths surged in 2015 By Joan Lowy, Associated Press WASHINGTON — Pedestrian deaths surged by an estimated 10 percent last year as the economy improved, the price of gas plunged and motorists put more miles behind the wheel than ever before, according to an analysis of preliminary state traffic… Continue reading
Feb 07 Fewer drunk, but more drug-impaired drivers on the road By Joan Lowy, Associated Press The number of drivers on the road with alcohol in their systems has declined by nearly one-third since 2007, but there has been a large increase in drivers using marijuana and other illegal drugs, a government report released Friday found. Continue reading
Oct 21 Are you driving a car with dangerous airbags? By Laura Santhanam The U.S. government recently issued an immediate recall for more than 4.7 million vehicles that were installed with defective airbags. However, the consumer website that lists vehicle identification numbers included in the recall did not appear to be working on… Continue reading
Sep 16 Safety agency mishandled GM recall, House panel says By Joan Lowy, Tom Krishner, Associated Press WASHINGTON — A House committee has determined that the government's auto safety agency should have discovered General Motors' faulty ignition switches seven years before the company recalled 2.6 million cars to fix the deadly problem. Continue reading